The Sakamaki Brides- Soulmate Symphony
by Nique116
Summary: Shu is easily one of the most attractive of the Sakamaki brothers, but he's haunted by the demons of his past. Chiko is used to lots of people, but she never really lets anyone in. The one thing they have in common is music. Initially they don't get along, but when it's revealed that Shu might be the only one able to break thru Chiko's shell, will they learn to get along? Part Two.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys! So this is the first chapter of the next installment of The Sakamaki Brides series! If you now anything about Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, I'm planning to create this story around the basic structure of it. I thought that was fitting for Shu's story, don't you? Anyway, this story is going to be written in third person, I think. It just clears up a lot of misunderstandings that appear in first person narratives. Okay! Enough rambling, you don't really want to hear from me. As always, enjoy and comment, favorite/follow if you like! Feedback is always appreciated! Thanks! ~Nique**

Chapter 01: THE BEGINNING

Shu slept in the entryway, wondering when the next bride would arrive. Sakamaki Tougo, also known as KarlHeinz, the Vampire King and the boys' father, had contacted Shu, saying another girl was coming soon, and to be ready for her. They couldn't kill this one either. It was becoming a disturbing theme. He had actually been asleep upstairs in one of the music rooms (not Laito's piano room, though. His brother and his little mate often did lewd things in there, and Shu wasn't too keen on sleeping on that bench), but something had compelled him downstairs. He'd been woken by his nightmares again.

To be perfectly honest, it was why he slept so much and was always so exhausted. He never slept well for longer than a few hours. Always, the same dream haunted him and forced him to wake up in a cold sweat. It had been many years since that fateful day, but the guilt had never abated for the gorgeous blonde Vampire Prince. Always, he thought, _What if I'd just been there a little earlier? Could I have saved Edgar?_ The thoughts tormented him, along with the grotesque image those flames had painted on the inside of his eyeballs. It was an image he would never be able to unsee.

The light knocking startled Shu out of his thoughts and he sighed, slowly sitting up from his sleeping position on the couch. The door opened of its own accord and a pink, headphone clad head appeared in the entryway. Pulling out some kind of music player, the young girl turned down her music and pushed her headphones down to rest against her pale neck.

"Hey, is anyone home? I can sense you, you know. You don't have to hide from me, I promise I won't bite... hard," she teased, flashing her fangs as she giggled at her own joke. Shu appeared in front of the girl, his bored expression never leaving his face as he greeted her lazily. Without visibly opening his eyes, Shu discreetly scanned the girl from head to toe, taking note of her bright pink hair, black headphones, clothing and body figure hidden beneath them. He nodded approvingly when he reached her chest, playing it off with a sigh as he spoke for the first time.

"So you're here then, Nakamura Sachiko. I've been expecting you. The butler will take your bags, so follow me," he said, disappearing briefly before reappearing at the top of the extravagant staircase. She snorted.

"Just call me Chiko. So where are we going, Mr. Show-off?" she asked, following him carefully. But Shu didn't answer, in regular fashion, mostly asleep standing up. Leading her this way into the main parlor, Chiko was thus introduced to a few of the other Sakamaki brothers.

"Hi, I'm Chiko. You must be the other Sakamaki Princes. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'll be staying here for a while, so we're sure to get better acquainted," she introduced herself when it became clear that Shu wasn't going to do it. Reiji sighed and replaced his teacup back on the saucer with a soft clink.

"Must I always do everything myself? Well, you good-for-nothing, I take it she's the new sacrificial bride? And am I right to presume we have instructions not to kill her either?" Shu's only response was a quiet grunt as he lounged on the couch in apparent sleep.

"Very well," Reiji said as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "Allow me to introduce my brothers. That good-for-noting you met earlier is Shu, the eldest. I am Reiji, the second son. You will likely be meeting two of the twins, Ayato and Laito a little later, as they seem to be very preoccupied with their mates these days." Just then, a high-pitched scream echoed throughout the house. None of the boys in the room moved, although Shu chuckled. Chiko looked a bit confused, glancing around the silent room for an explanation. The young lilac-haired vampire murmured to his teddy bear off in the corner.

"Laito-kun and Kimi-san have finished round one, ne, Teddy? Do you think we'll see them before dinner tonight? We haven't seen Kimi-san for a few days... Ne, Teddy, do you think she'd make that cake for us again?" Reiji sighed and gestured to the exhausted looking boy.

"That is Kanato, the fourth son. And the sixth son is Subaru, who is likely out in the rose garden at the moment. Now, Miss... Chiko, did you say?" At her nod he continued, "I suppose you'll want to share your back story with us, but let me assure you, we have absolutely no interest. I shall say this only once: You are nothing more than a source of food. Know your place." With that, the dark-haired vampire brother took a seat back in his leather armchair, dismissing the pink-haired vampirette. Chiko glanced around awkwardly, beginning to feel a little unsettled.

Just then, the two parlor doors flew open and two red-headed brothers entered, accompanied closely by two very lovely, if disheveled-looking vampirettes.

"Nfu~, what have we here, brothers? A new snack? Or maybe a play toy? Would you like a playmate, Neko-chan?" the first brother asked, turning towards the brunette, who blushed as she glanced up at the longer-haired twin.

"No, Laito-san, you are more than enough for me to handle," she replied to the perv, clearly the male she had claim to. Brushing a hand thru her short brown hair, the vampirette smiled at Chiko, flashing her fangs in a friendly, if very human, gesture. Chiko liked her immediately.

"Hi," the vampirette said, stepping around her vampire boyfriend and stretching out her hand to shake Chiko's. "I'm Kimi, Laito's... uhm... girlfriend?" she trailed off, looking back at her grinning boyfriend. He corrected her gently, coming up behind her and pressing his entire body against the length of hers in a display of affection and lust.

"Mate. Nfu~, silly Neko-chan, you're my mate, remember?" he crooned into her ear, his long tongue flickering out to lick the space just below and behind her ear. The vampirette, Kimi, couldn't hold back a soft moan at the contact, which only made the vampire boy's smile grow wider. Reiji sighed, and it snapped the two lovebirds out of their revelry.

"How many times must I tell you two to take such activities to your own room?" Reiji scolded like a mother hen. The couple ignored him. The girl extracted herself from his grasp and turned back to her new, pink-haired friend.

"Sorry about that, Laito can be... insatiable, sometimes. Anyway, it's very nice to meet you. It'll be great to have another female in the house, evening up the playing field a little," the vampirette said with a smile, still wrapped in her boyfriends arms, his front to her back. Chiko smiled back.

"I'm Chiko. It's very nice to meet you too, Kimi-chan."

The blonde vampirette waved from where she sat sprawled across the lap of the other red-haired brother's lap. He wouldn't let her up to greet Chiko more properly, no matter how hard she struggled.

"Hi, Chiko-chan, I'm Yui. I'm sorry, I would stand, but Ayato can be... rather possessive," she said apologetically. The vampire boy in question scoffed, clutching her more tightly to his chest and licking her neck sensually.

"Ore-sama wants to keep his Chichinashi close, you got a problem with that?" he commented rudely, but Chiko heard the fond undertones in his voice. She smiled understandingly at the blonde vampirette.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Yui-chan. It's okay, I understand. The Princes get to do whatever they want, right?" At that, a low chuckle rolled across the room and Chiko noticed Reiji shoot the gorgeous blonde brother a glare that could have killed a human. Ignoring his brother all together, Shu stood slowly and sighed, turning to face the parlor doors.

"What a pain... Fine, I'll take the little pixie to her room. I do not wish to be bothered anymore tonight." With that he vanished from sight, clearly having left the room. Chiko sighed and met the sympathetic eyes of the other women in the room.

"It was very nice to have met you all. I'm sure I'll be seeing you all again very soon. Please excuse me. Goodnight." She spun on her heel and rushed out of the room in search of her reluctant guide.

Back inside the room, the remaining brothers lounged about the room. Laito was (predictably) trying to convince Kimi to go for another round on top of the pool table with him, while Ayato was content to cuddle his mate and drink her sweet blood. Reiji drank his tea broodingly, while Kanato continued to whisper to Teddy quietly in the corner. His whispers got louder and louder, until Kimi found an out and left to make her special cake with the liliac-haired vampire. Subaru was still nowhere to be found. Reiji seemed to murmur to himself,

"She's quite an interesting character. Her manners are unspeakably poor, but if He sent her... She must have some special quality. The trend would have to continue, yes? I wonder whose perfect mate she is, then? Perhaps I will throw my hat into the ring for this one as well..."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated this story in forever, I've just been so busy, and I had a bit of writer's block with this one. But I'm doing better now, so I hope to continue this story, especially since so many of you have expressed interest in it. As always, please comment, favorite/follow and please enjoy! ~Nique**

Ch. 02: The First Movement

Chiko wandered through each room along the hallway where she'd last seen Shu, figuring at least one of them had to be her bedroom. Finally, she stopped at the last hallway on her left. The large heavy wooden door swung open with a soft creak as Chiko peeked her head into the dark room. Just as her vampire eyesight was adjusting to the tall shadows that bathed the room in creepy shapes, one of the shadows shifted slightly across the bed. Chiko shrieked, dropping her purse and nearly tripping over her an luggage in a frantic attempt to escape. The shadow sighed and sat up slowly, reaching out as if to snatch up Chiko's soul. Whimpering in fright, she tightened her arms across her body, shutting her eyes tightly against the monster about to kill her. And then, Chiko heard the lamp flicker to life on the bedside table.

"What are you doing on the floor?" A deep, familiar voice murmured. Chiko cracked open one eye, slowly realizing that she was still alive...well, kind of.

"S-Shu-san?" Chiko stammered, glancing up at the golden-haired vampire sitting on the bed. Her brain was having trouble comprehending what had just happen, but Chiko managed to gather her legs beneath her and stand up, shakily. Shu sighed.

"You really are a useless one... This is your room, by the way. Go to sleep," he mumbled, collapsing back against the pillow. Chiko waited, looking at him expectantly. When the blonde-haired vampire didn't so much as bat an eyelash, Chiko gripped the bottom of her T-shirt and fidgeted quietly, not knowing what to do. Another deep sigh broke the awkward silence.

"What is it now?" Shu asked in an annoyed tone, as if she was the one invading his space and disturbing his sleep. Chiko frowned, even as a light blush stained her cheeks.

"Uhm, aren't you going to, you know, leave? I mean, I have to get changed for bed and I mean... You do have your own room, don't you?" she asked, waiting for him to acknowledge her. But he was silent for a long time. Just as Chiko was going to say something else, Shu lifted her off of her feet and slammed her back against the wall. She hadn't been expecting such as swift movement from the lazy vampire boy, nor such strength, but there he was, his fingers digging into her shoulder as he held her pinned against the wall. His blue eyes glowed fiercely in the dim lamp light as he stared hard at her.

"Remember who's house this is, Little girl. Do not even dream of crossing me. Do you understand?" Chiko swallowed hard as Shu bared his long, gleaming white fangs at her, his face dangerously close to her throat. She nodded. Dropping her, Shu stuffed his hands back into his pockets and closed his eyes again.

"But if you need to change for bed... I don't mind. You'd probably like that, wouldn't you? Do you want to strip for me, you lewd woman? If you just ask, I can bring you such torturous pleasure that you'll be making those lewd sounds in no time," he leered, opening one eye to peruse her body. Chiko clutched her arms against her ample chest, gasping in outrage as she blushed.

"That's- Wha- How DARE you?!" Chiko hissed, baring her fangs at the blonde-haired Prince. _What a douchebag_, she thought. His slight smirk and a grunt was the only reply she would receive. With only another sigh, Shu disappeared from the bed and Chiko was left alone in her new room.

Looking around cautiously, Chiko let out a breath as she stripped down into her PJs and crawled into bed. It was going to be an interesting stay at the Sakamaki mansion. Chiko just hoped the stay would help solve her problem and that no one would be able to find her here. Staring up at the ceiling as she drifted off, Chiko's last thought was _I hope none of the Princes recognize me, either..._

_ The crowd screamed as the lights dimmed and the spotlights moved over the crowd. From beneath the stage Chiko could hear the many voices in the packed arena, and her blood pumped faster through her veins as her handler gave her the all-go signal and the panel she knelt on began to rise. The smoke on stage concealed her presence momentarily as all the light went out. Then she stood, the lights focused on her and the music cued. Chiko raised her bejeweled mic to her lips, the motions familiar to her practiced arms. As the first notes of her most popular single rang out in the stadium, the roar of the crowd was deafening. Her backup dancers filed onto stage and the pyrotechnics flashed hot on her skin as the flames shot up next to her outstretched arms as she belted out her songs. The crowd went wild when she pointed at them, starting up a chant. CHIKO! CHIKO! CHIKO!..._

"Chiko! Miss Chiko! Your tardiness to school will not be tolerated in this household!" That wasn't the voice of her fans. That was one of the Sakamaki Princes, Reiji-san, from the sounds of it. The sharp rapping on her door woke Chiko from her dreams and she sat up in bed with a sigh. It wouldn't be too long before she could go back to what she loved doing. She just needed a little time away, time where she could do some more writing, time away from... Shaking away that thought, Chiko jumped out of bed and threw open the door to stop the incessant knocking.

"Good morning, Reiji-san," she said with a smile, attempting to be cheerful, even as she internally debated whether or not she could snap his neck before he killed her. His unamused lips pursed as he pushed his glasses back up his nose with his single-gloved hand.

"We will await your presence in the car, Miss Chiko. You have exactly 20 minutes. You will eat on the way, but only this once. The next time you mis breakfast, you will learn that to be tardy is to go hungry in this house. Am I clear?" he asked, looking at the pink-haired pixie-like vampire from the bottom half of his glasses.

Chiko's salute made Reiji's brows pull down even further in disdain.

"Crystal, Reiji-san. Please excuse me," Chiko dismissed herself and slipped into the bathroom to prepare for school.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Chiko twirled one strand of long, curly pink hair around her finger.

"I haven't been to school in so long... I wonder if they'll like me?" she murmured out loud as she slipped into her school uniform.

_ I sure hope so_, she thought as she slid into the seat next to Shu in the limo a few minutes later. Reiji passed her a glass tumbler of Type O and she smiled at him gratefully as she accepted her breakfast. It was going to be an interesting day.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the hiatus, I've been crazy busy. To make up for it, I decided to upload two new chapters, so look for Ch. 04 as well! As always, enjoy, and comment, favorite/follow if you like it! ~Nique**

Ch. 03: The Exposition

Chiko's first day of school was surprisingly uneventful. If anyone recognized her, they pretended like they didn't, or at least they didn't make a big deal out of it. Chiko even recognized some of the other students as the children of some of Japan's most influential political and economic leaders, or celebrities in their own right, so she fit right in.

It felt weird to be taking classes in subjects like math and literature alongside other teenagers. It had been so long since Chiko had had any real contact with anyone her age. Her fans were kept at a distance for her safety and her career had kept her so busy, at such odd hours, that she'd had to be home schooled by an old lady who was really more like a babysitter than a tutor. She had never liked learning that way, all by herself, but she had thrown all other energy into her music in order to cope with her loneliness. But now, she was surrounded by potential friends, people like her, who could understand her strange habits and didn't care if she was one of Japan's hottest celebrities. Chiko was ecstatic at the prospect of making new friends, so much so that she practically skipped to her last class of the day. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going as she made a right turn towards her English class, and she stopped abruptly as she crashed into another student.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, quickly standing up from where she'd fallen on the floor and reaching out a hand to help the other girl up as well. But the girl tilted her head up and glared at Chiko, the front of her uniform covered in blood. Chiko gasped.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Chiko asked, looking around for something to help clean up the blood.

"It's not my blood, you dumb bitch, but just look at what you've done to my clothes!" the female vampire screeched, baring her fangs at the Teen pop idol. Chino blushed a deep red as she noticed the stares and giggling of the rest of her classmates. Looking down at the floor, the shy vampirette stammered out a mumbled apology as she tried to help mop up the blood with a few tissues she'd dug out of her bag.

"What is wrong with you, you freak?!" The girl screeched, scrambling up from the floor. Chiko's eyes began to fill with tears as she realized that everyone in the class was talking about her, their accusatory whispers and contempt at glares stabbed her like a knife through the heart and she didn't know what to do. Suddenly, a deep voice rose out over the whispers, and the entire class went silent to listen to the powerful vampire Prince.

"Keep it down. All of your voices are such a pain... " He cracked open one eye, and speared each and every member of the class with his gaze. "Also, leave her alone. She's with my family."

With that simple command, the blonde-haired Prince went back to sleep, and the atmosphere in the room changed. The students all stopped talking and went back to their seats without so much as sparing Chiko another glance. With a sigh, Chiko slid into a seat at the back of the classroom, wondering if this was how the rest of the school would treat her when they heard, as she was sure they would. Would she ever make friends? At this rate, it didn't seem likely. Chiko followed Shu's example and placed her head on her desk, hoping that tomorrow would be better.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey you guys! So I have been working on Ch. 5, and it's almost done, but I really wanted to end Ch. 4 somewhere differently, so I added a new ending. Sorry for the sporadic updates, school keeps me so busy :(. More coming soon! Comment, Favorite/follow if you like it, and as always, please enjoy! ~Nique**

Ch. 04: The Development

A week passed, and Chiko got used to her new schedule. She talked some with the other girls in the house, but she learned quickly that Ayato and Laito were very jealous brothers, and didn't like their mates spending time with anyone else. Every day after school, Chiko was forced to do her studying under the cruel, watchful eyes of Reiji. Whenever she got an answer wrong, or when she violated any of his ridiculous rules of etiquette, he would take a ruler to her palms. Needless to say, her palms were so bruised and sore that she could hardly even hold a pen. But once lessons were over, Chiko escaped to the garden with her songbook and a pen, desperately trying to find relief in her music.

On one such occasion, Chiko was wandering in the garden when she discovered the observatory. It looked so cool and beautiful, that Chiko just couldn't help but go explore it.

"Why are you disturbing my sleep?" a familiar deep voice startled Chiko and she yelped. For the first time, she noticed the young man apparently sleeping on one of the benches in the observatory. His pale skin and gorgeous blonde hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, and Chiko was mesmerized by the cut of his jaw, the hint of fang beneath his full, pink lips, his gorgeous blue eyes... Oh. Chiko blushed as she realized she'd been caught staring at the Prince, looking away quickly. She heard his soft chuckle from the bench.

"So you came to see me then, you lewd woman? Do you know what you're asking for? What I can give you? Are you searching for such exquisite pleasure that you planned to catch me out here, alone? What a dirty girl you are," he said, sitting up and stalking towards her.

"W-what? N-no, that wasn't- I didn't mean-" Chiko froze in fear and embarrassment, lowering her eyes.

This seemed to anger Shu, who reached for her, trying to get her to look at him. She refused, trying to slip away and Shu growled, reaching out to yank her back, but instead grabbed a handful of her songbook and threw it to the floor. Chiko gasped and dropped to the floor, scrambling to salvage the scattered, torn pages of her work. Shu was silent for a moment, his anger having abated slightly as he watched Chiko sob quietly as she held a torn piece of music tightly. Stooping down, Shu picked up a sheet of music from the floor and glanced at it. His eyes shot back to Chiko's tear-streaked face and she held his gaze furiously.

"You wrote this?" he asked, staring down at the ink-filled pages of her song book. Standing back on her feet, Chiko snatched the book out of his hands, suddenly unafraid of his fangs and angry at his intrusiveness. He was so infuriatingly arrogant!

"Yes, though it's none of your business," she hissed at the lazy (but gorgeous) vampire boy. He moved before she could react, His tall, hard body trapping her against the cold stone wall as he pinned her to it, his hands grasping her wrists in a vice-like hold. Chiko cried out as her head hit the wall, her vision blurry with tears as Shu leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Remember your place, girl. I could kill you here and now, and no one would even hear you scream. I can do as I please, even taking your blood as I wish... Down to the last drop," he hissed, licking her neck before the scrape of his fangs against the hot, pulsing skin of her neck sent shivers coursing down her spine. Looking up into his eyes as her vision cleared, for the first time, Chiko felt real fear as Shu's mesmerizing indigo-blue eyes glowed ominously in the pale moonlight.

"There's no doubting he's a Vampire Prince," she thought, taking in the extra-long, extra-sharp, glistening fangs, not quite hidden behind his full red lips, and the predatory gleam in his normally bored eyes.

_And yet..._ she thought, _And yet I feel no fear of him, only of what he might do. Only of... Of what I want him to do_. Chiko couldn't tear her eyes off of his lips. They looked so inviting...

Chiko yelped as Shu grunted and sank his wicked fangs into her shoulder, pulling her sleeve further down her arm and moving his other hand down to grip her waist, holding her in place. Chiko wouldn't have moved anyway. Even breathing caused his fangs to sink deeper, shred skin and muscle, and Chiko let the tears slip down her cheeks unchecked as excruciating pain shot up her spine, not daring to move. Shu let go of her sleeve then, wrapping his hand around her waist so could pull her closer, with both arms wrapped around her midsection, ensuring she could not escape as he took another swallow of her blood.

"So hot it burs like swallowing fire, but so irresistible," he murmured mostly to himself, his eyes gleaming with awe and possession as he pulled his fangs from the little girl's shoulder long enough to stare at the two small puncture wounds begin to close, then he tilted her head to the side and bit into her neck, savoring the delicate

taste of her blood.

"S-stop, please, Shu-san, please..." Chiko sobbed quietly, tucking her balled fists in to her chest, trying to escape the pain but unable to break free of the Prince's strong grip.

"Please... this is so dirty, please, just stop," she cried. A soft chuckle sounded from Shu's throat as he pulled away from her briefly, staring into her eyes as he whispered,

"Dirty? Isn't this what you wanted, you lewd woman? And don't try to lie to me, I saw it in your eyes and your blood is hot from your wanting it... Do you think it's taboo? For a vampire to drink from another? You need to understand your place here, woman. You are so far beneath me you are hardly even considered a vampire. I am a Prince. And I will have what I want," he grinned, licking a stray drop of blood from her neck. But instead of leaning in to drink from her again, the blonde-haired Prince shocked Chiko by stepping away and releasing her, shutting his eyes again as he held out another sheet of her songbook.

"I don't feel like drinking any more right now. Go away."

Chiko didn't need to be asked twice. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed her book and the page that Shu held out and began to head for the house, clutching her neck, as the blood dripped in between her fingers and onto the cobblestone path, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Just as she reached the end of the path, she heard Shu call out,

"It's not bad," he said too softly for any normal human to hear, but Chiko's ears were very attuned to the sound of Shu's voice now. He paused.

"Your music. It's not bad." With that, he disappeared, and Chiko assumed she'd been dismissed. Frowning, she made her way back to her room without encountering any other of the Sakamaki brothers.

_What I want him to do? Am I crazy?! I must be... And yet... He liked my music. He actually liked it?_ Chiko wondered, curling up in the center of her bed, cradling her songbook in her arms as she fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hi, sorry for such a long hiatus. I've gotten back into writing this, and I've already got a few chapters aready finished. I'll try to upload them ASAP too. Thanks to all my continued readers, I hope you enjoy.  
~Nique

Ch. 05: Writing a Sonata

After that fateful meeting, Chiko seemed to see Shu everywhere. She couldn't remember him being so... active before, but it was like he was making an effort to follow her around these days. He was in a good number of her classes, which certainly helped to keep the mean girls away from her, and she even caught him looking at her a few times during class. It was strange that he was taking such an interest in her all of a sudden, but she wasn't going to complain. If it meant none of the kids at school were bothering her and she could work on her music in peace, she really didn't mind.

Lunchtime was the worst. Right after her Calculus class, Shu seemed to disappear, and it gave the other students an opportunity to harass her without getting in trouble with the Vampire Prince, so Chiko was looking for a place to hide. The girls in her class had been particularly vicious, ever since she'd spilled the juice on the first day of her English class. Ducking inside an empty classroom, Chiko breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed her tense shoulders for the first time since the bell had rang for the end of class. Pulling out her home-made lunch, Chiko settled on a chair to eat, when she noticed for the first time that the classroom she had settled in was an abandoned music room, and the central piece of the room was a large, gleaming baby grand piano. Unable to help herself, Chiko quickly abandoned her lunch and wiped her hands, settling on the piano bench with something akin to a contented sigh.

Lifting the lid, Chiko quickly ran through a few scales to test the sound, and was surprised to find the piano in perfect tune. Obviously someone was diligent in keeping the instruments in working order, even if no one was using them. Glancing at the sheet music still propped up on the stand, Chiko shook her head at the selection and stretched her fingers. Placing them lightly against the keys, her fingers flowed over the ivory, stirring up a familiar tune that she could have played in her sleep. Closing her eyes, Chiko began to sing, remembering doing the exact same thing in a much different setting, imagining the microphone clipped to the back of her skirt, the screaming fans, the flashing lights, the piano echoing across the stadium... Chiko was so caught up in her memories that she didn't even sense his presence until he sat down on the bench next to her as she was beginning the bridge.

"Now I know why you looked so familiar when I first saw you," his voice startled her and she missed a note, her fingers tripping over the notes clumsily. He frowned and cracked open one eye in irritation.

"Did I say you could stop playing?" Chiko stared at him incredulously. He sighed and grabbed her wrist, pulling it to his lips.

"I'm thirsty. Give me more of you blood." Chiko's eyes widened and she tried to pull away.

"N-no, Shu-san, please..." He flashed his fangs at her.

"Fine. But instead I want you to play for me... Chiko-chan," he mocked, using her stage name to prove that he truly did recognize her. He continued,  
"You look different without all the sparkles and high heels."

Chiko was speechless. No one here had seemed to recognize her, though he popularity had been rising lately, and she assumed all of these spoiled rich kids simply wouldn't listen to something as mundane as her pop songs. Well, she was half right. Shu closed his eyes again and walked over to a couch in the corner, lying down again.

"But next time bring something other than that pop trash... I know you have better music," he commented before falling silent again. Chiko wondered at that statement. It was true he had seen her private music journal, with all of her secret works, the ones her label wouldn't promote because they didn't fit with her image or wouldn't sell... But were those really the ones Shu wanted to hear? She figured if there was a next time... It couldn't hurt to use him to find out.

Chiko found her rhythm again and transitioned smoothly into the bridge once more. Swallowing hard, she began to sing her favorite part of the song, suddenly more nervous to perform for this one Prince than all of her thousands of screaming fans. She tried not to examine that too closely, afraid of why that might be.

_This is crazy_, she told herself, _But he's so contradictory. He's hot and then cold, he hates me and then he wants me to play for him? He complements my music? What's wrong with this guy? And why do I feel so drawn to him?_

Looking over at the blonde-haired Prince, Chiko began to get an idea. The bell rang to signal the end of lunch, but for once, Chiko was excited to get to her next class so she could take out her songbook and start writing. As she left the music room, Shu mumbled,  
"Do it again tomorrow. Or else." Chiko only smiled to herself. Suddenly she had something to look forward to.


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Hi everyone, I promised I'd upload the next chapter soon! Just a disclaimer: the song does not belong to me, the lyrics are Christina Aguilera's parts to "Castle Walls" by she and T.I. Otherwise, please enjoy, and as always, feedback is always appreciated!_**  
_**~Nique**_

Ch. 06: Transformation

When Chiko entered the music room the next day, however, Shu was no where to be found. She hadn't been able to shake him for weeks, but as soon as she finally felt comfortable with him, he disappeared. Setting her bag down in its place next to the music shelf, Chiko sat at the piano and began to work on her newest piece, this one a ballad instead of her typical "pop trash." Once she had the basic harmony down, she began to tweak the melody, singing along softly.

_Everyone thinks that I have it all,_  
_But it's so empty livin' behind_  
_These castle walls,_  
_These castle walls._

_If I should tumble,_  
_If I should fall, _  
_Would anyone hear me_  
_Screaming behind these walls?_

_There's no one here at all,_  
_Behind these castle walls._

Just as the final notes resonated through the empty music room, Chiko felt her hair being shifted to the side, and someone's fangs pressing against the pulse beating at her throat. She tensed, unsure of who was behind her, and worried about what the person would do to her. At the sound of a deep, sleepy-sounding voice whispering in her ear, Chiko's body began to flush, and she could feel her blood rushing through her.

"Who's there," she whispered, her voice failing. The person's hot breath tickled the back of her neck as he released a soft sigh.

"What a troublesome woman. Don't make me announce myself... Your blood got hot when you heard me, you lewd girl," he teased. Chiko sighed, letting her muscles relax as Shu appeared at the edges of her vision.

"Come sit next to me, I'll play something for you, Shu-san," she ventured boldly. He didn't reply, but the bench creaked softly as he settled next to her, his leg touching her. Chiko sucked in a breath, her face flushing as she realized how intimate this position must look, with the blonde - haired prince leaning towards her, half of his body touching hers as she began to play for him. She began where she'd left off:

_Everyone thinks that I have it all,_  
_But it's so empty livin' behind_  
_These castle walls,_  
_These castle walls._

_If I should tumble,_  
_If I should fall,_  
_Would anyone hear me_  
_Screaming behind these walls?_

_There's no one here at all,_  
_Behind these castle-_

_Nobody knows I'm all alone,_  
_Livin' in this castle made of stone._  
_They say that money is freedom,_  
_But I feel trapped inside it all._

_And while I sit so high up on a throne,_  
_I wonder how I can feel this low,_  
_On top of the world is beautiful,_  
_But there's no place to fall._

_Everyone thinks that I have it all,_  
_But it's so empty livin' behind_  
_These castle walls,_  
_These castle walls._

_If I should tumble,_  
_If I should fall, _  
_Would anyone hear me_  
_Screaming behind these walls?_

_There's no one here at all,_  
_Behind these castle walls._

As the last note echoed around the room, Shu Sighed, slumping over onto Chiko's shoulder, his head nestled in the crook of her neck, his breath tickling her skin and blowing her hair slightly as he breathed deeply. Chino relaxed into Shu's body, gently, tentatively resting her head atop his blonde one.

"What are you doing?" The oldest vampire prince murmured sleepily. Chino listened for any anger in his tone, but found none, so she paused comfortably before speaking.

"You're surprisingly easy to be around, Shu-san. You can be quite intimidating sometimes, but often you're just too sleepy to be scary. But I-I like spending time with you like this," Chiko confessed, her face heating.

"Tch." Shu said nothing else for a moment, then he stirred, sitting up and rising from the piano bench. Leaning down, Shu closed the cover over the piano keys and then turned and swiftly scooped Chiko up into his.

''Wh-what are you doing, Shu-san?!" Chiko stammered. The Vampire prince shushed her.

"What a bothersome woman. Don't speak. Just lie down," he ordered, setting Chiko down on the couch across the room, curling up behind her. Chiko stiffened.

"But...what about my other classes?" She asked softly. Shu tsked.

"I just told you not to speak," he paused, "Don't worry about the classes, I'll tell the office you were with me." His eyes closed then, as if to say she'd better content herself with that.

Chiko was hyper-aware of his presence. She could feel the entire length of Shu's body against her back, his arm wrapped itself around her waist, puling her closer still. She held her breath, not daring to disturb Shu or anger him. But then he began to hum, his low voice remarkably soothing as he composed a harmony to the song she'd just been singing for him. Almost against her will, Chiko's eyes began to droop, and she could feel her heartbeat slow. Just as she felt herself drifting off, Chino thought she heard Shu murmur,

"Troublesome woman... What am I going to do with you?" And then she fell asleep. ******************************************************************************************************************************Elsewhere, another Sakamaki prince waited for the new bride after school. He was intrigued by this one. She was clearly more cultured than the previous brides, and really quite beautiful in her own way, he supposed. She was not as academically inclined as he would have liked, but she would do.

_I can train her to be a wonderful test subject for my experiments_, he thought to himself, allowing himself a rare smile as he imagined disciplining her thoroughly until she submitted to his will. In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, Reiji, the second son, felt himself begin to salivate as he imagined sinking his fangs into the smooth, pale column of her throat, hearing her cry out in pain before he moved his lips to her wrist, holding her pinned against him with one arm wrapped around her slim waist, drinking his fill of her sweet blood from her pulse there.

_I will begin her training today_, he thought, _I must have her today._

But 30 minutes later when Chiko did not show up where she was supposed to appear with Shu after their final class of the day, Reiji became suspicious. A brief discussion with the English teacher revealed that neither Chiko nor Shu had been in class that day. Irritated at her indecency, Reiji headed straight for the music room where he knew Shu would be, intending to scold him and force his brother to reveal Chiko's whereabouts, since his no good older brother could always sense the location of those tied to the Sakamaki family, a "perk" that came with being the eldest, regardless of his unworthiness, Reiji believed. But when he reached the music room and lifted his hand to knock, on a whim he peered in through the small window, seeing his lazy brother sleeping on the couch, the young bride tucked against his side. Enraged, Reiji quickly stormed back out to the car, immediately leaving for the mansion, leaving his brother and his "whore" to get themselves home. None of the other brothers asked about Shu or the new bride, and the other brides were far too busy catering to their mates to notice the missing girl.

At home, Reiji fumed silently in his lab, remembering their childhood. His mother had always loved Shu more, doting on the older boy, despite how frivolous and juvenile he behaved. Reiji, on the other hand, had always been a precocious child, absorbing information like a sponge, far more content memorizing books at his mother's side than gallivanting all over the place like his no-good brother. He had grown smart, crafty; strategically maneuvering his way into a better position from which to usurp the throne from his beautiful elder brother, but to no avail. Though it was Reiji who had ultimately killed their mother, he was never able to fully gain her affection or approval. He could never measure up to his older brother, and it drove him nearly to madness.

Remembering all this, Reiji remembered one decision he'd made that had actually had an effect on Shu. Reiji remembered sneaking out of the mansion that day, causing little Kanato to create a scene, distracting his other brothers, while he slipped out to the garden and quickly scampering over the fence. He knew his mother would not miss him, she hardly even registered his presence when he was sitting directly at her elbow, speaking to her. Seething with rage and jealousy at his brother, Reiji had followed the path down to the human village. It was not particularly well-worn, as the Sakamaki family, who were the only ones who lived in the area higher on the hill at the time, had little reason to visit the mortals, and certainly the villagers were appropriately terrified of their wealthy, mysteriously aloof neighbors. Reiji had been able to quickly track down _Edgar_, his brother's friend from the human village, quickly learning his home and discerning the best possible way to exact on the child maximum damage. Caring little for the child's life or the life of any of the other villagers', Reiji took great pleasure in setting the village house roof on fire. It went up like a match, burning quickly and efficiently. Reiji only waited around until he heard the first few screams as the first roof lit the next door neighbor's, and so on, until the whole village blazed with light in the darkness. Satisfied, Reiji quickly made his way home, avoiding the path he knew his brother would likely be taking on his way to meet up with his friend right about then. The very next day his brother's entire demeanor had changed. Instead of being infuriatingly simple and happy, his brother became lethargic and quiet. Reiji had triumphed! But their mother only paid his older brother, the literal golden boy, all the more attention. Still, Reiji took pleasure in his brother's misery. Thinking about how much joy that small moment had brought him, Reiji perfected a potion that could give him a repeat dose of satisfaction.

_I think the mansion is due for a bit of remodeling anyway. _

With that thought, Reiji allowed a soft chuckle to resonate throughout his laboratory. Dark things were on the horizon.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Here's the next chapter! We're finally getting into the final conflict and the resolution, so please enjoy, comment and favorite!**_

_**~Nique**_

Ch. 07: The Coda Begins

Chiko sat up quickly, breathing heavily. Looking around, she was alarmed to realize that school had been over for several hours, and in fact, it was beginning to get light out. She could just see the barest hint of pink on the horizon as the sun began to rise. With dismay, Chiko realized that the other Sakamaki boys would have gone home long ago. Turning around, Chiko reached out to shake Shu awake, but hesitated, unsure of what to do if he woke up grumpy.

"Shu-san?" she murmured softly. No response. She tried again, this time touching his shoulder gently as she called out, a bit louder, "Shu-san?" Again, nothing more than a slight stirring as he re-positioned himself, dragging Chiko along with him as he rolled over, so now Chiko was being crushed under the weight of his body. His head rested on her chest, and he nuzzled into her body unconsciously. Mortified, Chiko squeaked,

"S-shu-san?!" This time, the vampire prince heard her. Blinking slowly, Shu opened his eyes, confusion in his expression as he stared down at the incognito pop star vampire. Chiko's face was entirely red, her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to breathe under the heavy boy. Understanding dawned on his face quickly, and the eldest prince lifted himself up on his arms so as not to crush the girl. He smirked.

"You lewd woman, was sleeping next to me not enough? Is this what you want from me?" He asked, as he pressed his fangs against the pulse in Chiko's throat, lowering his body against hers so she felt every inch of his hard body against her soft curves.

"N-n-n-no, Shu-san, I didn't..." Chiko stuttered, unable to articulate herself as she became hyper-aware of the older boy. She could feel her breath speeding up, her heart began to pound, and she had to clench her legs tighter together as she felt something weird building in her body. Shu slipped one hand between them, pushing up her school shirt and moving her panties aside.

''N-n-no, Shu-san, not there..." she protested weakly, her body betraying her as she pushed her hips up into his hand, searching for more pleasure. Shushing her, Shu teased her opening, murmuring, "Is this what you want, Princess?" Crying out, Chiko tried lifting her hips again, but Shu avoided her attempt to force his hand.  
"Say it. Tell me what you want," he ordered. Frustrated, Chiko cried, "Please, Shu-san!" She was rewarded quickly. Shu slipped two fingers in her dripping slit, giving her the stimulation she craved. But it wasn't enough.

"More," she groaned, grinding down on his fingers instinctively. He chuckled, placing his fangs back at her throat.  
"What a lewd, greedy woman you are. I'll give you what you want most," he promised darkly, pulling back slightly so he could sink his fangs into her throat. Her blood was hot and sweet, calling to the vampire prince like a siren's song.

"Incredible," he mumbled, plunging his fangs back into her skin, this time at the juncture between her neck and her shoulder. Chiko squirmed, her body heating up, more liquid coating his hand as he continued to finger her.

Just when Chiko thought she'd explode, the vampire prince chuckled and removed his fangs from her throat, moving to whisper in her ear,  
"Come for me, Princess," and Chiko had no choice but to obey. Her back arched off the couch, pressing her chest into Shu's as she opened her mouth to scream. Shu quickly pressed his lips to hers to silence her cries.

The kiss began awkwardly. Chiko was too engaged in her own orgasm to really contribute to the kiss, but for some reason he couldn't really explain to himself, Shu deepened the kiss anyway. His tongue invaded her mouth, searching, tasting, demanding her participation as well. Slowly, Chiko regained her faculties, tensing briefly against the blonde boy before relaxing against his lips, returning the kiss. She was shy, her lips moving tentatively against Shu's, mostly just letting the more experienced boy take the lead. Eventually, Shu released her, allowing her to breathe as he dropped his head back against her shoulder, trying to understand his attraction to this silly pop princess. Chiko panted heavily, trying to regain her breath after the intense kiss. Shu closed his eyes, pressing a soft kiss against his fang marks against her shoulder, confused by how proud those marks made him feel, and his sudden need to care for the girl. He'd never felt that for a woman before, so what was so different about her?Just as he lifted his head to ask her what she was, a knock sounded at the door, and the heavy wooden door swung open.

"Oi! Are you gonna sleep here, then? Ore-sama has things to do, I can't babysit you all day," the crude triplet intoned, sparing Chiko no more than a passing glance, where she peeked out from under Shu 's body, but she blushed deeply, struggling to cover herself. But Shu was having none of that. Using his hips to press her into the couch cushion, Shu looked at his younger brother over his shoulder lazily.

"Who told you you could enter my music room?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. Chiko involuntarily clinched her legs tighter as his tone rolled down her spine, making her shiver. Ayato hesitated.

''Tch. I can go wherever I want. What are YOU doing with the new bride?" he shot back immaturely. Chiko tried to get out from under Shu again, struggling against him, pushing at his broad chest. But again, Shu was having none of that. He leaned down against her ear and whispered, "Don't move," a low voice. Looking back at his brother, he did something completely out of character. With the pop princess underneath him, her blood still a strong taste in his month, he bared his fangs at his younger brother.

"She's mine, don't touch her. Get. Out." Ayato only grinned.

''Fine. Chichinashi and Ore-sama will be in the car." With that, he turned and walked out, pulling the door shut behind him. Shu turned back to Chiko.

"You lewd woman, look what you've done."

Chiko stuttered, "I-I'm sorry, Shu-san." The blonde prince tsked, closing his eyes again as he stood and lifted her off the conch as well, pushing down her skirt and pulling her against his chest.

"It's too late for apologies, Princess. You're mine now. Don't even think about messing with me." And with that, Shu led Chiko out to the car. The drive back to the mansion was mostly silent, with Ayato and Yui drinking blood from each other quietly, while Chiko leaned against Shu, falling asleep on his shoulder. She had no idea what was coming up ahead, but she was so tired... And for some unexplainable reason, she trusted Shu to take care of her, her last thoughts before she drifted off were of his final words.

_You're mine now..._


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Hey guys, I'd like to thank everyone who's commented, reviewed or messaged me so many positive things about returning to this story. I've finally gotten past the writer's block, and I have more tie now to work on each chapter, so I'm definitely going to keep going with not only this story, but also this series. Probably. Anyway, here's the next chapter. You guys know what to do!  
~Nique**_

Ch. 08: Expanded Cadence

Shu and Chiko got home before the sun was too high in the sky, slipping quickly into the quiet mansion while all the other brothers slept. Shu said nothing when they arrived, so Chiko headed for her own room, also quite tired, but needing to change her clothes and bathe.

Just as she entered the bathroom, covered in nothing more than a towel, a low voice startled her out of her own thoughts.

"How indecent of you to not even check before you disrobed in the house," Reiji intoned, leaning against the sink. Chiko frowned.

"Respectfully, Reiji-san, this is my bathroom. And you have no right to just barge into my bathroom without knocking or asking me for permission." Reiji bared his fangs at the pop star.

"Be quiet, Whore. How DARE you? This house belongs to me. YOU belong to me... and blood bags have no right to privacy," he hissed, reaching out for her, grabbing her wrist and wrenching her body towards his. Struggling, Chiko forgot all about trying to keep her towel up, and it fell to the floor in a heap, leaving her completely exposed to Reiji's leering gaze.

"Look at you. Such an indecent woman, baring yourself before me. I'll have to discipline you thoroughly, so you'll never even think of doing these things until and unless I order you to do so." With that, he sank his fangs into her wrist, which he still held in a vice grip. Chiko cried out, trying to escape, but his grip was too strong. Reiji's gloved hand wrapped around her throat, cutting off her sounds as he drank from her pulse.

"Yes, that look of pain and desperation on your face is delightful. I can't wait to make you scream my name. That's it, give me more of that pained look," he murmured against her skin, kissing a trail up her arm to her shoulder, where he sank his fangs into her skin there, taking another few swallows of her blood.

Chiko was in a circle of hell, she was sure. The places where Reiji's fangs touched her burned like nothing she had ever felt before. She could only assume he'd somehow poisoned her, maybe placing it on his glove or the outside of his fangs. Her vision was beginning to go black around the edges as he cut off her airway, and she struggled to make a sound, to call out for help. But she couldn't. She saw her own blood start to color Reiji's white glove, staining it as he messily drank from her throat.

"Look what you've done. How rude. Control your blood, girl, or I will have to punish you." Chiko's only reply was a slight groan as she struggled against his grip again. Reiji released his fangs, drawing her face closer to his own.

"Struggle all you want, whore, my no-good brother would never put in the energy to come save you," he hissed. Chiko began to cry, mostly from frustration, but also because it was at that exact moment that she realized just how much she wanted Shu to save her. She longed for his sweet embrace, his calming presence, his low voice whispering against her skin, murmuring naughty things in her ear. At that moment, Chiko realized she'd been falling in love with Shu, and she feared she'd never be able to tell him. If Reiji continued to drain her, continued to choke the life out of her, Chiko wouldn't last very long. But worse still would be a life as Reiji's lab rat, his punching bag and a weapon to use against the brother whom he hated so much. Chiko refused to ever hurt the man she loved. With the last of her strength, Chiko forced a scream from her throat, using the last of her air to call out to the only person she trusted to stop Reiji's torture.

_Shuuuuu... _and then, to her surprise, Reiji let her go. Dropping her to the floor in disgust, the dark-haired brother pulled his bloodied glove from his hand, dropping it to the floor next to her body, tsking as he apparated away. Chiko sucked in air like a dying fish, dizzy and exhausted as she lay weakly in a pool of her own blood.

Moments later, the golden-haired prince appeared in the bathroom, more alert than she'd ever seen him, his beautiful blue boys taking in everything, the blood on the floor, the bruises forming around her neck, and finally, the blood-soaked glove lying by her head. His eyes heated with rage, and his fangs descended quickly, the wind blowing in through the window suddenly picking up and blowing his hair and clothes around roughly. He looked like a god of fury, his hair whipping around, his eyes looking hard yet beautiful, like precious jewels.

"_Reiji,_" he hissed, his fangs promising retaliation. Chiko didn't care about their feud, she just wanted Shu to hold her. Reaching up one hand, Chiko croaked through her swollen throat,

"Shu-san..." Looking down at her, the eldest prince frowned, his eyes softening slightly. Kneeling, disregarding the pool of blood entirely, Shu whipped his coat off and draped it over Chiko's naked body, lifting her into his arms and apparating into his own bathroom. Blood dripped on the floor as he carried her to the tub, already filled with warm water. Chiko looked up at him curiously as he climbed into the tub with her in his arms, still fully clothed.

"But Shu-san, you're getting all wet." He shushed her. Leaning back into the tub, Shu closed his eyes, relaxing as Chino's blood slowly turned the water red, washing off of her sore, bruised body naturally.

After a long while, Chino's throat healed enough for her to speak comfortably again. "S-Shu-san?" she asked quietly. The blonde-haired prince opened his blue eyes slowly, gazing down on Chiko almost affectionately. He didn't speak, but Chiko knew he was listening.

"Shu-san, thank you for saving me. I don't know why... I didn't mean to..." Shu sighed, closing his eyes again, sinking further into the water.

"Didn't I tell you that you're mine? How dare you let my brother take what's mine?... Of course I came to reclaim my property, ridiculous woman," he tsked, opening his eyes again and running his fingers lightly over his brother's fang marks. Shu turned her around so she settled on his lap, facing him. "These can't be allowed to stay," he murmured the soft warning, his voice low and intimate as he leaned forward, placing his own fangs against her throat.

"N-no, Shu-san, please..." Chiko pleaded, already exhausted. Shu only shushed her, his fingers beginning to tease her lower folds, slipping inside as he gently pumped them in and out of her, arousing her slowly.

"Shhh, I'll be far more gentle than my brother," he promised. Chiko moaned as Shu's gentle assault on her lower regions suddenly picked up, his fingers picking up speed, occasionally brushing an extra-sensitive spot inside her, forcing her back to arch as she clutched his shoulders and threw back her head, exposing her throat to him.

Shu felt more energized than he had in a long time. Bending his legs and using his other arm to grip her hip, Shu lifted Chiko up, his fangs at her throat as she arched backward, moaning lewdly as he fingered her. Shu also groaned.

"I love it when you make those sounds. Moan more for me," he murmured, low. Placing her lips over his brother's mark, he pressed a soft kiss to her skin, making her moan again with the slight addition of pain to the pleasure his fingers still brought her. Twisting his hand around and curling his fingers, Shu scraped lightly at her G-spot, also using his thumb to flick her clit. Chiko's back bowed backward and her grip on his shoulders tightened, her nails digging into his shirt as she screamed, her sheath clenching around his fingers as she came.

Just at that moment, Shu sank his fangs into her, right over his brother's marks. As he was older and more powerful than his younger brother, his fangs were larger and further apart, so he was able to easily overwhelm and encompass his brother's bites. But Shu was also able to control how much pain his fangs brought. This was a rare skill among young vampires, as it took a lot of control and knowledge of human anatomy and behavior, which young vampires rarely had. But Shu did. Carefully, Shu gentled his bite, relishing Chiko's moans as he took one sip, and then another, swallowing down her hot blood. Eventually, Shu released her, lapping at the last few drops of blood welling from her skin as Chiko finally came back down from her orgasm. Breathing heavily, Chiko slumped over his shoulder, exhausted.

"Shu-san, how are you so good at that?" She murmured. Climbing out of the tub with Chiko in his arms, Shu shushed the girl, wrapping her in a fluffy towel and laying her down on the bed. He climbed onto the bed beside her, pulling her close to his chest as shutting his eyes.

"Shhh... go to sleep, woman," he mumbled. Chiko was quiet for a few moments.

"Shu-san?" she whispered. The blonde boy reclined with one arm behind his head, cracking one eye open lazily.

"Mm?" was his only answer.

"What are you listening to?" she asked glancing up at him. Shu smiled, his eyes still closed.

"Usually classical music... Right now?... Women in ecstasy," he replied, mockingly. Chiko blushed, tucking her face into his side as she began to fall asleep. Shu waited until her breathing slowed, opening his eyes to look down on her small frame cuddled against his side.

"Somehow none of them sound as beautiful as you when you cum on my fingers," he murmured low, grinning to himself. Thinking about his brothers' mates, and how they'd behaved when they fell in love, Shu was no fool. He realized what was happening to him. He thought about _Him, _wondering if he'd been sending the brides purposefully. He wouldn't put it past him.

With these thoughts on his mind, Shu fell asleep more slowly than usual, but his dreams were plagued by horrific memories of the night he would never forget.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all your patience and encouraging messages, I'm finally home for the summer, so I'll get back to writing now. I'm working on Ch. 10, the final chapter of Shu and Chiko's story right now. I'm feeling motivated again, so maybe I'll also start working on chapters for the next brother, so keep an eye out for another Sakamaki brother's tale coming soon. As always, enjoy, and feedback is greatly appreciated :).  
~Nique**_

Ch. 09: The Final Chords

_It started out as a night like any other. Shu was able to escape his mother's domineering eye, slipping over the fence and heading quickly down the path towards the human village. He'd made a friend there, a little boy near his maturity level, though obviously Shu was quite a bit older than he appeared. _

_Just as he was about to reach the human village, he smelled it. Thick, black smoke rose over the trees, and the sky burned a bright orange as the flames licked each rooftop. Little Shu stood motionless on the path outside the village, listening to the screams of the villagers, knowing his friend was likely dead. The acrid smoke burned his eyes and his throat, and he cried out, hoping someone, anyone, would help his friend, but knowing no one would._

******************************************************************************************************************************Shu woke up in a panic, still able to smell the smoke. But as he shook himself free of the last vestiges of his dreams, he realized the smoke was not, in fact, a memory. Shaking Chiko awake, Shu tried to pinpoint the source of the thick, hazy cloud filling his room. Chiko woke quickly, smelling the smoke and realizing the danger they were in. Vampires were incredibly difficult to kill, but unfortunately, burning alive was one, very unpleasant way to do it. Tugging on Shu's sleeve, Chiko tried to rouse her boyfriend into action.

"Shu-san?" The blonde vampire prince did not answer, too caught up in his memories of his childhood friend, the screams and the flames that tinted the night sky so orange, he simply stared at the flames licking under the bathroom door blankly.

"Shu-san? Shu-san!" Chiko was up out of bed, tugging on his hand, pulling him up and out into the hall. "Please, Shu-san, I need you to help me, I can't carry you, I-" her next few words were drowned out by cracking as the flames ate through some of the support beams in the roof. Looking around, Shu noticed the paint peeling off the walls, the way the flames downstairs were quickly consuming the stairs, the weakened structure of the house. This was no ordinary fire. It was too hot, it burned much too quickly to be a regular fire, and it had been virtually undetectable until it had done a large amount of damage. He noticed the flames were oddly colored. These flames were not the regular reddish-orange, these flames were a deep purplish-blue, with black at the hottest points. He knew those colors. _Reiji_, he thought.

"Shu-san! We have to get out of here, Shu-san, please!" Beside Chiko, Shu noticed the wall bending outwards unnaturally. Yanking her towards him, Shu was able to move Chiko out of the way just as that section of the wall exploded, flames shooting from the boards and blocking their path. Now unable to reach the staircase, which was quickly being consumed by flames anyway, Shu and Chiko had nowhere left to go. As vampires, they could likely apparate out of the mansion, but Chiko was still quite weak from being drained first by Reiji, and then from her... _activities_ with Shu. She didn't have the strength to move herself, let alone her and Shu, who was still clearly out of it. Chiko had no idea why Shu was reacting so badly to the fire, but she knew he would be no help. She'd have to get them out of the house on her own. Dragging her boyfriend back down the hallway towards Shu's room, Chiko searched desperately for a second staircase. She knew the Sakamaki's had many servants, but that they were largely unseen, so there must be servant passageways running throughout the whole house. If she could just find them... Quickly, Chiko made her way down the hallway, tugging her boyfriend along as she weaved around fallen, burning beams and tried to avoid any weakened floorboards.

Finally, Chiko spotted a section of the hallway where the wallpaper pattern seemed to have been interrupted. Running her fingers over the paper, Chiko searched for a way to open the passageway. Next to her, Shu continued to slowly catalog things. The more he thought about it, the more this burn pattern seemed familiar. The way it burned, from the lower floor to the upper, it would have been started low, in the corner of the house. And it was so hot, it could only have been set from inside. But Reiji's lab was nowhere near the mansion's lower corners, so this wasn't an accident, he had set the fire intentionally!

"Ah ha!" Chiko exclaimed, finding the entrance to the servant passageway. Above her, the crackling of the flames was drowned out by a new sound, a loud, ominous cracking, and then a momentary stillness. Moving quickly, Chiko entered the dark, dank hallway, jerking Shu in behind her and sealing the door, just as the roof caved in where they'd just been standing. Alone in the surprisingly cool, pitch black darkness of the hallway, Chiko found herself fighting a panic attack. While she was definitely okay with a crowd of people cheering for her, she couldn't stand this dark stillness... it felt to her like being on the inside of a coffin... buried alive. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Chiko focused instead on trying to find their way out of the mansion. Following the flow of air, Chiko headed down the hallway, still holding Shu's hand tightly.

What seemed like hours later, Chiko was well and truly lost. The servants' passages stretched the entire length of the house, and they twisted and turned like a maze. There was no light, and Chiko was beginning to feel the strain of dragging her boyfriend around, especially since she'd just been nearly drained and then... worked out with Shu before they'd fallen asleep. Turning down the next corridor, Chiko reached out to open the door that she hoped would lead them outside to safety. But as she heard the click that signaled the door opening, she instantly realized what a terrible mistake she'd made. Instead of leading them outside, they'd found themselves deeper into the heart of the flames, and the open door was another outlet for the aggressive blaze. It leaped at the two young vampires, forcing them to back away from the door as blazing hot flames licked at them, pouring thick smoke into the passageway. Now not only were they lost, but they were again fighting the flames as Chiko turned around to run back the way they'd come, pulling Shu along.

Once the flames entered the passageway, however, they seemed to multiply and spread faster than they should physically be able to. Soon, Chiko was having to sprint to avoid them as they chased her down every hallway. The tunnels were heating up, and Chiko was tiring quickly. She was weak and exhausted, and the air was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe as the smoke entered her lungs, suffocating her. Running into a large cavern-like chamber, Chiko stopped, needing to decide which was to go.

_I can't let Shu burn alive like this!_ Chiko thought, desperately searching for a way out. Scanning what she could see of the passages in all directions, she was just about to give up when she spotted it.

_There!_

At the end of one of the passages off the chamber where'd she'd stopped was a faint light, not yet obscured by flames or smoke. Yanking on Shu's hand, Chiko rushed him down the hallway towards the door.

_Yes! This is it!_ She thought, reaching out desperately for the door. Just as they were about to reach it, they heard the ominous cracking again, this time directly above the exit to safety.

Chiko pushed herself, running faster, pulling Shu harder, but it was no use. The cracking stopped and it was deadly quiet.

_We're too far, we're not going to make it_, she realized with despair. Spinning quickly, Chiko grabbed Shu's hair and yanked him down for a kiss, whispering, "I'm sorry." Gathering the last of her strength, Chiko shoved Shu past the collapsing ceiling and right through the door to the outside.

As soon as the bright light hit his eyes, Shu snapped out of it. Looking around, Shu realized he was standing in the garden, and he was safe from the flames. But Chiko wasn't. Shu turned, looking for the annoying woman he'd come to care for, realizing she wasn't standing beside him.

She wasn't anywhere outside.

Turning back towards the house, Shu looked through the door he'd just been shoved through, seeing Chiko collapsed to the knees on the floor of the servant passageway.

His eyes met hers and she smiled weakly, just as the burning ceiling collapsed, trapping her inside.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: This is it, the long awaited finale of Soulmate Symphony. I'm sorry it took so long, I was really stuck on how and where I wanted to end this, but I just didn't want to wait anymore. I hope you all like it. I am planning to continue this six-part series, but as I'm also in school, progress may be slow. Though, not a slow as this story has been, hopefully. Thanks to everyone who's been waiting so patiently for me to get my butt in gear, and thanks to everyone who left encouraging messages and reviews about how much they liked this story. You guys rock. Enjoy, and keep an eye out for the next part in my series.**_

Ch. 10: Encore

Shu stared with horror at the pile of burning rubble in front of him. She had been right there. He could have reached back and touched her, almost. He had been so shocked when she tugged him forward, pressed a hard kiss to his lips, and shoved him through the door into the bright moonlight, that he'd been unable to act as the ceiling, crackling and weakened from the unnaturally hot flames, caved in over her head. He half expected her to crawl out of the rubble, covered in grime, her bright pink hair dirty, but her smile glowing.

But she didn't.

Nothing moved.

It was then that he noticed his brothers and their mates standing near him, horror on their faces as well. Shu felt a tightness in his chest that he hadn't felt since the night Edgar's village had also gone up in flames. At that moment, he felt wide awake, but he desperately hoped he was dreaming.

"She-" he croaked. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking to his left, he followed the hand up its owner's arm and stared into the face of his younger brother, Ayato. Ayato looked saddened, which was an unusual expression for the red headed triplet, and he seemed to not know how to comfort his oldest brother.

"She's gone, Shu. Even vampires can't survive those flames." Shu was very still for the span of a heartbeat, his blue eyes widening slightly, and then chaos ensued.

Shu, the lazy, disinterested Sakamaki brother, seemed to grow in size as he ripped off his headphones, throwing them to the floor as he rushed to the ruined house, searching for the last place he had seen Chiko, gripping the still burning boards in his bare hands, ripping them up and throwing them aside, searching desperately for his mate. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he worked, obscuring his vision. His hands and arms began to burn, as he was not immune to the flames either, but no external pain could match the gnawing sense of loss he felt in his chest. Whipping around to face his brothers, he roared,

"HELP ME!" He went back to searching the rubble for any flash of pink hair and pale skin. More quietly, he sobbed, "Not again, not again," over and over. Suddenly he sensed another presence nearby. Wiping his eyes on his sleeves, Shu recognized his brothers Ayato and Laito with their sleeves rolled up, also pulling at the burning boards nearby. They merely grunted as they worked, offering no explanation for their out of character behavior, other than Laito's mumbled,

"It would be a shame to lose such a pretty Bitch-chan." Shu nodded gratefully.

Suddenly, Ayato called out, "Shu!" The blonde-haired brother rushed to his half brother's side, gazing down at the pale figure lying under a heavy cross beam, her eyes closed, her skin blackened and severely burned in several places. She lay unnaturally still. Though the beam, which had been solid, highly-polished wood at one time, must have weighed at least 200 lbs, but Shu felt a surge of energy as he gripped it and threw it off of his mate. She didn't stir.

Collapsing to his knees in the burning rubble, Shu cradled her head in his lap, leaning over her, his eyes closing as he whispered,  
"Wake up, Chiko, wake up. Please, I can't lose you too, you stupid woman."

Behind them, Ayato and Laito rejoined their mates, who sobbed softly into their chests. Kanato and Subaru looked on silently, Kanato clutching Teddy tightly.

Reiji looked on with contempt, some feet away from the others, annoyed with the entire event, and strangely, with himself. After so many years of hating his older brother, Reiji began to feel something for Shu other than jealousy and hatred, though those feelings were still prevalent as he gazed at his broken, weeping brother... but now he felt... pity. With a sigh, Reiji took a vile of clear liquid from the inner pocket of his school coat, uncorked it, and poured it out on the piece of burning ruin closest to him. The piece of wood fizzled, then began to smoke as the flames were extinguished. The liquid seemed to multiply, and quickly began to spread, encompassing the rest of the rubble within a few minutes, so that all that was left was a pile of blackened, smoking wooden boards. Nodding and jotting something down at the success of his potion, Reiji disappeared, leaving the rest of his brothers to deal with the messy aftermath.

In Shu's arms, Chiko's eyes fluttered softly. She coughed. Shu's eyes flew open and he searched her face desperately. Slowly, she opened her eyes and licked her lips, capturing Shu's eyes immediately. She lifted her arm with great effort, wiping away a tear from Shu's cheek.  
Shu sighed with relief, hugging her tightly to his chest. "You stupid woman... What a pain. Tch. Don't scare me like that," he murmured, leaning down to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. Standing, Shu carried his mate out of the smoking mess, nodding his thanks as he passed his brothers and their tearfully joyful mates. His mate was a little worse for wear, burned in several places and covered in soot and grime, but she was alive.  
Shu appeared in the bathroom of a guest bedroom, his room having been lost in the fire, but the guest wing of the mansion having been left mostly untouched. Switching Chiko to one arm, Shu ran the water in the bathtub, settling them both in the warm water, clothes and all. Taking a cloth and washing his mate gently, stripping her as necessary, Shu said nothing. Eventually, Chiko couldn't take his silence anymore.

"Hey, Shu-san?" The only response she got was a low grunt.

"Shu-san? I'm okay, really. Say something?" There was a long pause, but Shu merely continued washing her and shampooing her hair. Chiko tried another tactic. "Shu-san, where are your headphones? What about your music?"

Shu's hand stilled on her hips. Slowly, he brought his eyes up to meet hers.

"I thought I had lost you," he whispered, clutching her hips to his tighter. "Don't ever try to leave me again, Chiko. You are mine. Your blood, your body... All mine. Got it? Don't even think of messing with me... No music could compare to the sounds you make for me." As he finished speaking, Shu relaxed against the back of the tub, cradling his mate in his lap, his eyes closing lazily, now that the danger had passed.

Chiko smiled as she rested her head against Shu's chest, drifting off to sleep.

"Yes, Shu-san... I love you," she murmured absently, but Shu's mouth twitched upwards into a small smile, and a faint blush stained his pale cheeks. Saying nothing, he stood, lifting Chino from the tub as well, and carried her to the bed, where he stripped off the remainder of her clothes and tucked her in. Gazing down at her battered and bruised figure for a moment, Shu was shocked to find himself biting into the flesh at his wrist, shaking Chiko awake gently.

"Shu-san?" Chiko mumbled groggily, confused.

"Here, drink," Shu ordered her gruffly, pressing his wound to her lips. She did as she was told; immediately, her wounds finished healing, and she looked stronger. When she'd had enough, Shu sank into the bed beside her, pulling her closer, her back against his chest.

"Go back to sleep," he commanded, his eyes closing again. But feeling stronger and suddenly quite bold, Chiko only grinned, twisting around so she lay looking up into the blonde vampire prince's face.

"Aren't you going to say it back?" she teased. Shu opened one brilliant blue eye.  
"Say what?" he asked tiredly. Chiko mock-pouted.

"That you love me too, Mate," she reminded him. "After all, my next tour is scheduled to begin soon, and I can't leave until I know I'll have a mate to come back to." Shu closed his eye again and sighed, pulling her even closer so that every inch of their bodies touched, burying his face in her hair. He sighed again, his breath tickling her neck, his fangs scraping against her skin.

"What a troublesome woman," he murmured against her skin, but Chiko could feel his lips turn up into a smirk.

He never did say the words. But as Chiko began to drift back off to sleep, he did begin to hum in her ear the melody to _Hyakunen no koi (A Hundred-Year Love)_, her favorite love song.


End file.
